Jun 25 2020 — The Canadian Press — The president of eBay Canada says an arcane rule in the new North American free trade agreement means people who shop online for goods sent from the U.S. or Mexico will be charged different taxes and duties depending on who delivers the packages. Andrea Stairs says she is “mystified” why the Canadian government has thus […]
Jun 17 2020 — NY Times — Planned remarks to Congress by the administration’s top trade adviser on Wednesday appear to portend a continued fight with the World Trade Organization.
Jun 1 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Proposed British tariffs could hit Canadian agrifood. Ottawa—With less than seven months to Britain’s departure from the European Union, Canada’s commercial relations with its fifth largest trading partner are clouded in uncertainty. Conservative MP Michael Kram told Parliament in May the United Kingdom has “released its list of tariffs on Canadian exports that will […]
May 28 2020 — The Canadian Press — If trade deals were football players, Canada’s agreement with the United States and Mexico would have been considered a second-stringer a year ago compared to President Donald Trump’s original Hail Mary effort to secure a new pact with China. But now that COVID-19 has rendered China an international pariah and touched off a global movement […]
May 8 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — U.S. among conspicuous absentees from the international initiative. Ottawa—A global campaign to restore the importance of the World Trade Organization and rules-based international trade is gaining support, a joint statement from 42 countries including Canada in early May demonstrates. International Trade Minister Mary Ng said the countries “agreed that trade should remain open and predictable, […]
May 8 2020 — Adrian Morrow — Globe and Mail — U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening economic retaliation against China over its handling of COVID-19, tying the pandemic into his long-running trade war in an escalating clash between the world’s superpowers. The President and some of his officials are also promoting a theory that the virus originated in a Chinese lab, despite producing no evidence […]
May 6 2020 — Neil Moss — Hill Times — Some opposition Parliamentarians say the federal government misled them on when the new NAFTA will come into force, believing they had an assurance that the updated trade pact would start at the beginning of August and not a month before, to the detriment of Canada’s dairy sector. But trade experts say the Trump administration forced […]
May 5 2020 — U.S. dairy exporters topped year-earlier levels for the seventh straight month in March, despite disruptions resulting from the coronavirus outbreak. In March, U.S. suppliers shipped 190,456 tons of milk powders, cheese, whey products, lactose and butterfat, 2% more than the year before. This is the highest figure since May 2018. On a solids basis, exports […]
Apr 24 2020 — The Canadian Press — The United States has cleared the way for its long-awaited trade agreement with Canada and Mexico to go into effect July 1. The U.S. notified its North American trading partners today that it has finished the domestic housekeeping work called for in the agreement, a step the other two countries completed earlier this month. U.S. […]
Apr 13 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Former PM backs position of heads of major international organizations. Ottawa—Governments need to make sure their pandemic control measures don’t impede trade in food products, say the heads of three key international organizations. “Now is the time to show solidarity, act responsibly and adhere to our common goal of enhancing food security, food safety […]
Apr 3 2020 — Janyce McGregor — CBC — Canada notified the United States and Mexico Thursday evening that it has finished its ratification process and is now ready to implement the measures in the revised North American trade agreement. The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) will take effect on the first day of the third month after all three countries have given their notice of […]
Mar 30 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Interim agreement will be in place until Appellate Body dispute resolved. Ottawa– Canada and 15 other members of the World Trade Organization have agreed to an interim process for allowing appeals of panel reports in trade disputes in a move that is a step forward in keeping international rules in force. Trade Minister Mary […]
Mar 25 2020 — Neil Moss — Hill Times — As the White House seeks to have the new North American trade deal in force by the beginning of June, a member of the government’s NAFTA advisory group says that timeline is unlikely to be met. Canadian Labour Congress president Hassan Yussuff told The Hill Times that the group held a call earlier this month […]
Feb 28 2020 — NY Times — When the European Parliament bade farewell to Britain last month, its members broke out into a wistful chorus of “Auld Lang Syne.” But when British negotiators travel to Brussels on Monday to kick off the next phase of Brexit, these old acquaintances are likely to give them the cold shoulder.
Feb 25 2020 — Dan Darling — National Newswatch — It’s time to restore predictability to trade in North America. The best way to do that is to pass legislation to implement the Canada United-States Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) without delay. After three years of negotiating and waiting, Canadian farmers, agri-food exporters need certainty and stability. That’s why it is encouraging to see the House Trade […]